基于PBPK模型评价三氯乙烯的职业暴露健康风险

三氯乙烯(TCE)作为脱脂和清洗剂被广泛应用于五金、电镀和电子等行业。TCE的职业暴露会产生一系列健康风险,包括过敏症和致癌等。2012年TCE被美国环保局(US EPA)和国际癌症研究机构列为1类致癌物。采用吸附管采样-热脱附/气相色谱-质谱法分析了大连市某企业车间生产工况下空气中TCE浓度。基于生理学的药代动力学(PBPK)模型预测了呼吸暴露途径下TCE在职业工人体内组织中的动态分布、代谢产物生成情况和致癌风险。TCE在不同组织中预测的最大浓度呈现出脂肪肠充分灌注室支气管非充分灌注室肝脏静脉血动脉血的趋势。预测的与致癌有关的代谢产物最大浓度表现为三氯乙酸二氯乙酸三氯乙醛S-二氯乙烯基-L-半胱氨酸。在监测的TCE水平(39.2±24.4)μg·m-3下,暴露8 h·d-1,连续暴露20年,基于外暴露评价的职业工人致癌风险均值为1.31×10-5,该暴露水平下,基于PBPK模型预测的TCE内暴露与外暴露计算的致癌风险水平相近,但基于具有致癌性主要代谢产物的内暴露致癌风险值是外暴露风险值的1.17～1.73倍。TCE的暴露水平越高,基于内暴露方法和外暴露方法的致癌风险评价结果差异越大。敏感性分析表明,心输出血流量和充分灌注室血流量对PBPK模型输出结果具有重要影响。不确定性分析表明,模型参数变化会显著地影响PBPK模型输出结果,但变异在可接受水平。本研究结果说明,评价TCE暴露对人的致癌风险需要考虑其在体内的分布和代谢过程。     

偏钒酸铵对小鼠血清和肝脏转氨酶活力的影响

为了考察偏钒酸铵对小鼠血清和肝脏转氨酶活力的影响,50只小鼠随机分为5组,对照组饮用三重蒸馏水,4个暴露组分别饮用剂量为5、10、15和20 mg·kg-1·d-1的偏钒酸铵,15 d后取血和肝脏样品,测定血清和肝脏中谷丙转氨酶(alanine transaminase,ALT)和谷草转氨酶(aspartate ami...     

生理毒代动力学模型及其在有机污染物水生生态毒理研究中的应用

人类生产和生活使用各种人工合成的化学品,种类和数量急剧增长,对生态系统和人体健康造成了极大威胁。因此,亟需采用高效的方法对数量巨大的化合物进行毒性评价。对生理毒代动力学(PBTK)模型的建立过程及其在污染物生态毒理研究中的应用进行了综述。PBTK模型,又称生理药代动力学(PBPK)模型,是利用生理学和解剖学等原理,将生物体简化为用血流连接的肝、肾和脂肪等各组织器官房室,模拟化合物在生物体内的吸收、分布、代谢和排泄过程。模型参数包括生理参数和生化参数2个部分,可用MATLAB等软件进行模拟。模型已应用于数百余种有机污染物在鱼体等水生生物体的毒代动力学模拟。已有模拟结果能够预测化合物在生物体内的有效剂量,对化合物毒性进行评估,并可用于不同物种、不同剂量和不同暴露途径间的外推,有力推进了污染物生态毒理研究工作的开展。     

两种除草剂对蚯蚓的急性毒性及氧化胁迫效应

为评价两种常用除草剂草甘膦和精喹禾灵对土壤动物的影响,以赤子爱胜蚓(Eisenia fetida)为受试生物,采用滤纸接触法和人工土壤法测定了两种除草剂的急性毒性效应。并通过人工土壤染毒法研究了两种除草剂对蚯蚓体内超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)活性和丙二醛(MDA)含量的影响。结果表明,滤纸法染毒48 h,草甘膦和精喹禾灵对蚯蚓为低毒级,其LC50值分别为546.4和638.7μg·cm-2;人工土壤法染毒14 d,草甘膦和精喹禾灵对蚯蚓的LC50值分别为321.4和392.3 mg·kg-1,属低毒级。氧化胁迫试验结果表明,较低浓度草甘膦(≤4 mg·kg-1)和精喹禾灵(≤10 mg·kg-1)对蚯蚓体内抗氧化酶活性影响不显著,而40和80 mg·kg-1草甘膦在暴露7 d内对SOD、CAT和POD活性影响显著,表现为SOD活性显著提高,CAT和POD活性分别呈现降低-提高和提高-降低的变化趋势。暴露7 d内,100 mg·kg-1精喹禾灵对蚯蚓SOD活性表现为先刺激后抑制的变化趋势,CAT和POD活性显著提高。和对照相比,草甘膦污染土壤中蚯蚓体内MDA含量变化不显著,而高浓度精喹禾灵(100 mg·kg-1)污染土壤中,第7和14天时蚯蚓体内MDA含量显著提高。暴露14 d后,草甘膦和精喹禾灵对蚯蚓的氧化胁迫基本消失,说明供试浓度范围内草甘膦和精喹禾灵不会对蚯蚓造成严重的氧化损伤。与急性毒性结果相比,氧化胁迫效应更为敏感,可作为该两种除草剂对土壤生态影响早期预警中的生物标志物。     

乙酰柠檬酸三丁酯围产期暴露对子代小鼠认知能力的影响

研究不同剂量的增塑剂乙酰柠檬酸三丁酯(acetyl tributyl citrate,ATBC)围产期暴露对子代小鼠认知能力的影响及其机制.以C57BL/6小鼠为受试动物,小鼠合笼后,对受孕雌性小鼠进行随机分组,设置对照组、ATBC暴露组(2、20和200 mg·kg-1·d-1),在围产期每天进行灌胃暴露.通过Morris水迷宫实验和跳台实验对子代小鼠的认知能力进行检测,观察子代小鼠脑组织病理变化及胶质细胞激活情况.检测子代小鼠脑组织匀浆中神经递质5-羟基色胺(5-hydroxytryptamine,5-HT)、乙酰胆碱(acetylcholine,ACh)、活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)、丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)和还原型谷胱甘肽(glutathione,GSH)、超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase,SOD)等的含量或活性以及肿瘤坏死因子α(tumor necrosis factor α,TNF-α)、白介素17(interleukin-17)的水平.结果 显示,200 mg·kg-1 ·d-1的ATBC围产期暴露会导致子代小鼠认知能力下降,脑海马结构出现改变,胶质细胞活化程度增大,脑组织氧化应激水平上升,促炎症因子TNF-α和IL-17含量增加.研究表明,200 mg· kg-1·d-1 ATBC围产期暴露可引起子代小鼠脑组织氧化应激,进而导致其认知能力下降.     

基于PBPK模型的大鼠体内镉分布的比较:联合暴露及单独暴露

环境中同时存在着多种重金属元素,联合暴露与单独暴露时,重金属在体内的蓄积分布情况也可能有所差异。为探究重金属元素(汞、铬、砷、铅)对镉(Cd)在体内分布的影响,建立了大鼠在Cd暴露下的药代动力学(PBPK)模型,并进行了包括Cd在内5种重金属的联合毒性实验,比较了Cd单独给药与重金属混合物给药2种方式下大鼠肝脏、肾脏中的Cd浓度水平。结果表明,联合暴露高(Hg Cl23.67 mg·kg~(-1),NaAsO_2 3.67 mg·kg~(-1),CdCl_2 10.55 mg·kg~(-1),K_2Cr_2O_7 6.40 mg·kg~(-1),Pb(OOCCH_3)_2·3H_2O 133.33 mg·kg~(-1))、中(HgCl_20.367 mg·kg~(-1),NaAsO_2 0.367 mg·kg~(-1),CdCl_2 1.055 mg·kg~(-1),K2Cr2O70.640 mg·kg~(-1),Pb(OOCCH_3)_2·3H_2O 13.333 mg·kg~(-1))、低(HgCl_2 0.0367 mg·kg~(-1),Na As O20.0367 mg·kg~(-1),Cd Cl20.1055 mg·kg~(-1),K_2Cr_2O_7 0.0640 mg·kg~(-1),Pb(OOCCH3)2·3H2O 1.3333 mg·kg~(-1))剂量组大鼠肝脏中Cd浓度分别为13.37、0.78和0.06μg·g~(-1);肾脏中Cd浓度分别为14.41、1.64和0.15μg·g~(-1)。与对照组相比,暴露组中Cd浓度有显著升高,且不同剂量组之间均有显著性差异。同剂量Cd单独暴露的PBPK模拟结果显示,肝脏及肾脏中的Cd浓度水平落在联合毒性实验结果的浓度范围内,初步推断其他4种重金属的联合暴露并没有影响Cd在大鼠肾脏和肝脏中的浓度分布。     

苯急性暴露对Sprague-Dawley大鼠全基因组DNA甲基化的影响

现有文献表明,DNA甲基化异常与肿瘤的发生密切相关,其中全基因组DNA甲基化水平的改变已经被认为是癌症发生的生物标志物;同时,大量遗传毒理学实验证明苯可以引起DNA突变和断裂,然而苯暴露引起全基因组DNA甲基化异常的现象,目前鲜有文献报道。为了揭示苯引起全基因组DNA甲基化变化的致毒机制,本实验中,Sprague-Dawley（SD）雄性大鼠经口灌胃急性暴露于以500 mg.kg-1（以体质量计）的苯中,在暴露6、12、24、30 h后采集SD雄性大鼠体内血液、肝脏、肾脏和肺,利用高效液相色谱分析方法检测全基因组DNA甲基化水平。结果表明,SD雄性大鼠血液和肝脏的全基因组DNA甲基化水平显著下降,而在肾脏和肺中没有显著地变化,表现出组织特异性。本实验率先报道了苯的暴露可以引起全基因组DNA甲基化水平的异常,从表观遗传学的角度解释了苯影响人体健康的机制。     

近红外长余辉纳米颗粒经小鼠眼部暴露后体内分布和代谢情况

为了研究纳米颗粒通过眼部暴露后进入体内的路径及在体内的分布和代谢情况,实验采用近红外长余辉纳米探针作为示踪剂,对小鼠进行眼部暴露,随后利用活体成像技术观察其进入小鼠体内的过程及分布情况,于暴露第4天收集代谢产物,第7天取重要脏器和血液,并检测纳米探针的存在情况.结果显示纳米探针可由眼经口腔进入胃肠道中,并且纳米颗粒暴露4天后在小鼠的粪便中检测到强荧光信号,而尿液中的荧光信号较弱,暴露7 d后在小鼠的眼睑结膜、胃及眼球中检测到强荧光信号,而其余器官的荧光信号较弱.这表明通过眼部暴露后,纳米颗粒主要分布在眼和消化系统中,最后大部分经消化系统代谢.     

静脉注射多壁碳纳米管后大鼠脏器的病理学观察(Pathological Observations of Rat Tissues After Intravenous Injection of Mutil-Wall Carbon Nanotubes)

以Wistar大白鼠为研究对象,观察了多壁碳纳米管(MWNTs)体内暴露后脏器的病理学变化.采用尾静脉注射的方法将直径为40～60nm的多壁碳纳米管(40～60MWNTs)和直径小于10nm的多壁碳纳米管(10MWNTs)暴露于大白鼠体内,同时分别采用纳米二氧化硅(SiO2)和乙炔碳黑(Cb)作为阳性和阴性对照.实验结果表明:1、3、5mg·kg-1(以大鼠体重计)多壁碳纳米管进入大鼠体内90d后,大鼠心脏、肾脏、肝脏和胃结构正常,未见明显的病理损伤.但是多壁碳纳米管均可在大鼠肺部沉积,随着暴露时间的延长,多壁碳纳米管一部分被肺巨噬细胞清除体外,但是残余的多壁碳纳米管引起了肺部的病理学改变.     

铅暴露与排放对中华鲟幼鱼血液中ALT、AST活力的影响

采用水溶液静态置换法,从中华鲟(Acipenser sinensis)受精卵发育至96 h开始,研究了其在0(对照组)、0.2、0.8和1.6mg·L~(-1) Pb~(2+)水溶液中暴露16周,随后排放6周,对中华鲟幼鱼血液中ALT、AST活力的影响.结果显示:Pb暴露后幼鱼血液中的ALT和AST活力均表现为随Pb暴露剂量增加而升高的趋势,1.6mg·L~(-1)组ALT活力与其它各组比较呈极显著差异(P<0.01);0.8和1.6mg·L~(-1)组AST活力与对照组比较分别呈显著差异(P<0.05)和极显著差异(P<0.01). Pb排放后,各暴露组血液中ALT活力降低至对照组水平(P>0.05);1.6 mg·L~(-1)组的AST活力依然较高.超出对照组近2倍(P<0.01).对照组血液的AST/ALT值在2.24～2.32之间;随Pb质量浓度增加,暴露后AST/ALT值呈增加趋势.Pb排放后AST/ALT值降低,但1.6 mg·L~(-1)组与其余各组比较仍维持较高值(P<0.05).初步认为,0.2 mg·L~(-1)和0.8 mg·L~(-1) Pb~(2+)暴露导致中华鲟幼鱼肝细胞不同程度受损,经Pb排放后,轻度受损的组织细胞能够恢复.血液中的AST/ALT值在判断鱼类组织损伤中也具有重要意义.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.